This image was captured last fall.
I discovered it today while clearing out some files.
There appears to be a satellite captured here, but when I examined the image closer the track of this object seems peculiar. It makes a 90 degree course adjustment on the dime. Further more it appears that the object covers this track more than once in the 12 second exposure.
Does anyone have any idea what satellite would exhibit this type of behavior.
Thank you.

No object behaves like that. Certainly not a satellite. It could conceivably be two different satellites, but having the trails meet at a corner like that is extremely implausible. Note that the trails are wiggly. Satellites don't do that either.

It is more likely that the shutter was open during a slew and some bright object left that trail.

01-27-2019, 09:37 PM

Don Quixote

Re: Curious to identify.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KathyNS

No object behaves like that. Certainly not a satellite. It could conceivably be two different satellites, but having the trails meet at a corner like that is extremely implausible. Note that the trails are wiggly. Satellites don't do that either.

It is more likely that the shutter was open during a slew and some bright object left that trail.

Not a shutter issue. But you are correct, nothing makes that path. Just wondered if any one has seen such a thing before.
Thanks Kathy.

01-27-2019, 10:09 PM

Don Quixote

Re: Curious to identify.

The blue object is the Saturn Nebula.
Image dimension less than 2 degrees wide.
The track of this object is precisely on the line of declenation and turns at a right angle on the hour angle.
This is not a camera anomaly.

01-27-2019, 10:22 PM

goldstar

Re: Curious to identify.

VERY INTERESTING Mark!
Do you know which area of the sky this was, image scale etc.?
That is such a perfect 90 degree it can only be a slewing or camera artifact.
The little overshoot at the angle looks just like an end of slewing effect (maybe DEC) and then it slews off again (maybe RA).
It would be useful to know which directions are RA and DEC in the image.
Possible you stacked a bad frame ?
I agree with Kathy. You may have had the once in a cameras lifetime shutter stick.

01-27-2019, 10:34 PM

goldstar

Re: Curious to identify.

Thanks mark, you answered my question before I asked it! Prescience?
It must be a camera/scope/processing anomaly.
There is nothing in nature that moves exactly in RA and DEC and seen from where you chance to be.
The wiggles look just like periodic errors in the drives.
Need to figure out how the camera came to be exposing while a slew was happening.

01-27-2019, 10:49 PM

Don Quixote

Re: Curious to identify.

Very interesting.

01-27-2019, 11:03 PM

Don Quixote

Re: Curious to identify.

Very interesting. Thank you.

01-27-2019, 11:11 PM

Don Quixote

Re: Curious to identify.

There must have been several simultaneous camera anomalies. Oh well.
What are the odds? I should buy a lottery ticket.
I will take thus bogus image down.